How to help kids adapt to the chaos that is hybrid learning
“Hybrid learning” has become a blanket term for the many ways students are experiencing school right now amid the coronavirus pandemic: in-person students with remote teachers, remote students with in-person teachers, kids rotating between school and home by week or day. It’s a system that assumes students can juggle the logistics of returning to school under new circumstances and learning at home, which, for kids in the midst of brain development plus pandemic stress, has the potential to quickly feel like too much to handle.
Even the most naturally organized students may need additional positive structures and support in unfamiliar circumstances such as these.
Still, parents can help children navigate this tension by providing continuity and routine within an ever-changing schedule. Here are some strategies.
Have a morning (or evening) check-in
In many cases, students have gone from rigidly packed pre-pandemic schedules to no schedules to schedules that change by the day. It’s a lot to juggle. Setting aside time in the morning to identify what the day will look like and what work should be completed, or time in the evening to reflect and plan for the next day, can steady your child’s nerves. Finding a regular time each day to check in – even for five or 10 minutes – allows kids to process what their day will look like and what is needed, and it brings some needed consistency to their lives.
Prepare for a return to paper
Many students who have been learning remotely over the past year have kept much of their work on their digital device. Going back into the classroom part-time means they will probably be getting papers and handouts in addition to needing to keep digital assignments and resources organized. Have students create parallel systems: a folder on their computer for each class, with subfolders for notes, homework and handouts, and a similar system for physical documents with a binder and tabbed dividers, so each digital file or physical document has a home.
I encourage students to create a system where any document on their computer or handout in their binder can be located in under a minute.